The video, that went viral, showed the girl looking sad and dishevelled and standing near to where the clip claimed was her mom’s burial site.

Police alerted to the footage launched an investigation and discovered that the video had been faked by the youngster’s father to try and boost his online audience.

Amer Sartawi, spokesman for the Public Security Department, said the girl featured in the video had been identified and was in good health, and her mother was alive.

He added that the girl’s dad had admitted fabricating the story in an attempt to attract more views on social media sites.

The girl had since been referred to the PSD’s family protection unit and authorities were considering possible legal action against her father, Sartawi added.